Fountain-pen.



1". W. VAUGHN, Jg.

FOUNTAIN PEN. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1910.

Ptented 111111111911.

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BHL,

FRANCIS W. VAUGHN, JR., 0F WEST MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOUNTAIN-PEN.

Speeication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1a, 1911.

Application filed August 5, 1910. Serial No. 575,623.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS l/V. VAUGHN, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at lVest Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fountain-Pens, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionv relates to fountain pens.

More particularly it :relates to that class of safety pens in which the pen and its tubular holder are withdrawable into the interior of the barrel or reservoir, when not in use, to permit the approach of an exterior imperforate plug to prevent leakage.

The invention aims to provide improvements in the construction of this class ef pens.

Particularly it is the object to combine in a pen, without sacriiice of strength in any of the parts, the advantages of an ordinary fountain pen in which the writing pen is fixed to the holder' and maybe covered for protection by a frictionally held cap, with the advantages of a safety pen in which the writing pen is withdrawable into the reservoir as above described. This is accomplished by completely incasing the barrel within a casing and cap, leaving the barrel free to turn and slide within the casing, and providing holes through the casing for access of ones ingers to grip the barrel when adjusting the cap thereon to make a safety nen. 1 Itis also an object of the invention to provide a more durable and longer lived safety pen, by reducing the wear on the parts incidental to opening and closing it.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, arranged as a safety pen, with the barrel closed; Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 but arranged as an ordinary pen with the writing pen in position for use, and covered with the cap for protection; Fig. 3 is an end view in section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, the barrel 1, which constitutes the ink reservoir of the pen, is snrrounded by a casing 2, in which it makes a sliding iit, and is 'movable longitudinally therein between the positions illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; and is freely rotatable therein. The cap 3 has the Various combined functions hereinafter described. The writing pen 4 is mounted within a sleeve 5 surrounding the end of the feed bar 7 and having an outer end of such size that when projected endwise, it enters easily and fills completely the hole 6 at the mouth of the barrel, leaving no escape for ink except through its feed passage. The latter may be of any suitable type. The other end of the feed bar 7 passes through the remote end of the barrel and is anchored in the end of the casing 2, in any suitable way.

A packing to prevent the escape of ink from the barrel is provided. As represented, this consists of disks 9 and 10 screwed into the end of the barrel, with a ring 11 of soft material such as cork compressed between them. The position of the pen is therefore rigid with respect to the casing 2, the barrel being movable with respect to the same. When withdrawn to the degree indicated in Fig. 1 the writing pen stands inside the barrel, the barrel and packing 9, 10, 11 having slid outward on bar 7 until stopped by shoulder 8 on said bar. As the writ-ing pen no longer obstructs the entrance 6 to the barrel, the plug 12 in the inside of the cap has access thereto. This plug has a tapered exterior which tightly lits into the end of the barrel, closing it; being drawn and held by screw-threads 13 on the cap which engage screw threads 111 on the exterior of the barrel. This arrangement constitutes what is known as a nonleakable or safety fountain pen.

If it be necessary, as heretofore, to unscrew the plug 12 and push the barrel back into the casing to project the pen into writing position each time it is desired to open and use the pen, and to perform the reverse operation when it is desired to close the pen, not a little troublesome inconvenience is eX- perienced; and there is also some danger, in the hands of persons not familiar with such pens, of spilling ink before the closure plug is tight in position. The pen illustrated eliminates this inconvenience and greatly reduces said danger by providing a merely pen-protective closing by a frictional clasp of the lips of the cap, which will be the closing ordinarily employed, in the manner in which ordinary fountain pens are closed. This is accomplished by building the case 2 far enough toward the pen end of the barrel so that the cap 3 can lit loosely over the pen, screw 14 and barrel end, and can reach the casing 2 and clasp it frictionally Without touching them, as shown vin Fig. 2. lVhen thus closed, the Writing pen is protected as usual .in ordinary types of fountain pens. The cap and case together inclose the barrel completely.

As the barrelslides and rotates easily within the case, there is no means, thus far described, by Which the plug 12 Within the cap can be screwed tight upon the barrel hole 6. Opposite openings 'in 'the caseare therefore provided as-at 15, throughwvhich them-exterior ofthe barrel is exposed and maybe gripped by theffingers ofthe user, to 'facilitate which this portion of the barrel may be ridged orgrooved as at `10. By this ymeans a\i1nandstrong grip ymay be had Auponwthe-barrel =in opposition to the cap in screwingt-heplugl12 tight on thebarrel mouth. The vsamelgrip may be used for unscrevving the plug; after Which, the cap being removed, the barrel may be pushed into -t-he case inorder to project the pen into .Writing posi-tion as shown -inf Fig; 2.

In theoperation of sliding the -pen into or -out offV the. barrel mouth,. the tendencyto `spill the contentsis much relieved if the longitudinal .progression vbe slow, and accompanied `by considerable rot-ation `which .makes it moregradual. This is possible by the construction described because the barrel 1 .is frceto turn Within the casing 2 as Wellias to slide longitudinally therein.

Owing to the ease with Which the Writing pen-may be protected by the cap, itis not necessary,-in closing the pen, to go to the trouble of. closing the. barrelv by Withdrawing the pen into the reservoir and screwing the plug 12 into position, except in cases Where itiszdesired to use the non-leakable safety feature. Consequently, much wear lon the packing 9,10, 11 and much of the inconvenience and .danger of spilling ink incidental to the safety closing are eliminated. At the sameti1ne,lthe pen is an improvement over some I others in that the Withdraxvalof the pen into the reservoir, for the Safetyv closing, may be effectediby a rotating spiral movement, Which produces a slower longitudinal movement and thus reduces the suction Which in careless hands sometimes is the occasion of ink spilling.

As the` closure of the barrel is effected at its mouth when used as a safety pen,.the relative lengths of barrel and cap should be designed With reference to the position ofthe plug 12 inthe cap 2, so that-When used as a safety pen the plug' 12 is seated beforefthe cap Ebinds upon the casing. To guard against injuring the Writing pen by attempting to screw-the plug 12 intoplace'before .suiiciently .drawing the Writing pen j intothe barrel, reliance may be placed upon the fact that the lips of the cap Will grip the end of the .casing'before damaging contact is 1nade,'thus protectingthe pen; or if desired a `cent-ral guard rod 17 may loe inserted,

Awhich will engage the end of the feed bar beforethe plug 12 strikes the Writing pen, in case the lips of the cap should not be stopped by the ease as described.

I claim;

1. In a fountainpen,the'combination of a `barrel reservoir,a yp'en-'vvithdrawable into the barrel, a casing-covering the vend ofthe barrel vremotefrom the pen end,AY acap 'to cover 'the pen end ofthe barrel,`- adapted `to iit on the near end of the casing and Vprotect the pen when-itis projected, and Vtoi'fit on the barrel closing the outlet When thel pen is Withdrawng there fbeing an opening through the casing whereby I'the barrel 'Wit-hin it ist accessiblelto loe gripped'withv the `fingers for holding Ait When the cap is ad justed thereon lwhereby 'the barrel-may -be 'rot'atediwithin the casing'orV may be held against rotation.

2.1 In a fountain pen, thecombination of a. barrel reservoir,-a lpen `Withdravnbleinto the barrel, a casing covering' the end of the barrel remote'from the pen end, 'a cap to cover the vpen-end of the barrel, adapted to fit on the near end ofthe casing'and: protect the pen when it is projected,and to fit on the barrel closing the outlet When thev pen is Withdrawn; the barrelv being fittedforffree movement Within the casing -and exposed therethrough for manipulation toiadj ust the cap thereon, whereby the barrel ymay be rotated Within the casing Y or -may be 'held against rotation.

3. In a fountain pen, the combination of a barrel reservoir, apen Withdravfable into the barrel, a casing covering theendofv the barrel remote from thev pen endfa cap to cover the pen end of the barrel, adaptedto fit on the near endl of the casing vrand protectingv the pen when it-is=projected, and to fit on. the barrel closing the outlet when thepen is Withdrawn; an axial, barlfast to the casing, entering thebarrel at the end remote from the pen, and having a shoulder to limit'thc travel of the barrel; the barrel beingtltted yfor free movement Within the casing and exposed `therethrough for manipu lation whereby the barrel may be rotated,

Within the casing or may be held against rotation for .adjusting the cap thereon.

Signed by me at Boston, Mass., this twenty first day ofJuly, 1910.

FRANCIS YV. VAUGHN', JR. 

